Top industrial IoT security solutions

FirstPoint

Best for cellular IoT connectivity

FirstPoint offers a secured IoT connectivity management solution that provides cybersecurity for cellular IoT devices. The tool takes a proactive approach to IoT security by detecting attacks before they occur and protecting SIM-based devices from threats.

FirstPoint can secure all devices with mobile connectivity on a private or public network, and users can continually manage, monitor and assess each of their devices from one centralized platform. The solution can be applied to all SIM-based or eSIM-based devices, 2G through 5G, for static or roaming devices, with or without an operating system, through the device itself or a central mobile gateway. The tool even uses an on-device applet on the SIM to protect the device and ensure its battery life and latency are secured. All traffic is routed through a secure overlay network.

The solution works at the network level to automatically detect threats, alert on potential dangers and block attacks before they can cause damage to the devices. Users can integrate their solution with third-party tools to gain a holistic view of their security across their enterprise. FirstPoint even enables users to adjust their policy according to their security needs with its flexible policy engine.

The solution provides a rich API that allows for integration with other tools. Readers interested in FirstPoint’s technology can contact the vendor for pricing information.

McAfee Embedded Control

Best for IoT device manufacturers

McAfee provides security for IoT devices through their Embedded Control solution. The solution strengthens device security, allowing IoT device manufacturers to develop their devices in comprehensive fashion. The primary method that McAfee Embedded Control takes toward ensuring device security is by managing the authorized access to devices.

The solution controls the activities that can exist on embedded devices and protects their memory. Users have control of their device security each step of the way, enabling them to stay on top of how their devices are secured and reduce their support costs according to their needs.

For example, the solution can automatically detect changes in real-time. Users can visualize changes and enforce change control processes to manage what changes can occur and who is authorized to apply them. Being able to control the changes that occur can allow users to reduce their support and field maintenance costs due to security issues.

The platform secures applications and binaries at the kernel level and embedded systems from malware and zero-day exploits. It also integrates with Intel IoT Gateway and meets PCI compliance requirements.

Azure Sphere

Best for multiple application options

Azure Sphere is a secured IoT solution for building intelligent IoT devices. Developers can connect existing devices to the platform or create new secured devices to protect against emerging threats. It comprises a secure, connected, crossover microcontroller unit, a Linux-based operating system and a cloud-based security service.

Products built with Azure Sphere continually respond to security threats, and Microsoft often provides security improvements and updates that enable the device to stay protected from emerging ones. The Azure Sphere solution also supports users in failure reporting and certificate-based authentication.

The application platform also has built-in communication and security features, and its MCU has real-time processing capabilities. Along with the OS and application platform, this supports developers in creating secure IoT devices that can be managed, monitored and updated remotely. Azure Sphere’s MCU also provides security through a secured application environment, authenticated connections and opt-in use of peripherals. This helps to lower the likelihood of security risks from factors like spoofing, rogue software and denial-of-service attacks.

Azure Sphere’s catalog of devices provides options to connect existing devices or build new highly secured intelligent devices, and the Azure Sphere Security Service enables Azure Sphere MCUs to connect to the cloud and web safely. Utilization of the Azure Sphere solution with Azure’s other IoT platform services like Azure IoT Hub and IoT Central can make it easy for developers to create and deploy products for vaster business value creation.

Azure Sphere is priced at less than $8.95 for the Azure Sphere MCU model MT3620AN. However, the total pricing may vary based on volume and other factors determined by the vendor distributor.

FortiNAC

Best for IoT network security

FortiNAC is the network access control solution by Fortinet, which provides security for networks with IoT. Its security capabilities protect networks against IoT threats, enable control of third-party devices and come with automatic features that respond to different security-related stimuli.

The solution’s network access control features can enable users to manage their trusted endpoint devices and automate threat response for their continuously monitored network devices. FortiNAC secures devices through network visibility, network access control for devices and fast, automated responses to security events.

FortNAC offers protection for wireless and wired networks with a centralized architecture that allows for distributed deployments and provides up to 17 different profiling methods so users can accurately identify their devices. The solution can even restrict network access through micro-segmentation so those devices can only access necessary network assets.

The solution can integrate with network devices from over 150 vendors. Users can apply FortiNAC either as a standalone device or as an element within the Fortinet Security Fabric. Potential buyers can contact the sales team for pricing information. FortiNAC reviewers online were pleased with this option for its easy deployment and advanced network access control features.

Mbed OS

Best open-source solution

Arm Mbed OS is an open source operating system for IoT technology. It provides features and capabilities to support developers in creating connected IoT products using the Arm Cortex-M microcontroller.

The Mbed platform and operating system are based on 32-bit ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers. Device communication and connectivity options include drivers for Bluetooth Low Energy, RFID, LoRa LPWAN, 6LoWPAN Sub-GHz Mesh, Mobile IoT (LPWA), Ethernet and WiFi. Mbed also uses Platform Security Architecture to provide secure services and environments for IoT application development.

Using the PSA Security Model, Mbed OS can provide an isolation between a secure processing environment and a non-secure processing environment to help secure cryptographic assets, credentials and critical code sections. This separation is managed by the system’s Secure Partition Manager, which provides interprocess communication APIs that users can utilize.

This solution comes with multilayer security to keep IoT products safe, with features to protect the device’s hardware, software and communication. The solution combined PSA Certified systems and hardware-enforced isolation with TrustZone technology to enforce hardware security. Communications security is enforced as users can include SSL and TLS protocols within their projects.

This solution can be leveraged to develop secure IoT products on macOS, Windows and Linux computers. It is open source, making it an economical choice. Many online reviewers appreciate its straightforward security features and ease of use.

Palo Alto Networks

Best zero trust for IoT devices

Palo Alto Networks provides its smart security solution for IoT devices through its IoT Security 2.0 product. As a complete IoT security solution, it uses machine learning to identify unmanaged devices, detect anomalies, recommend policy based on risk and automate threat response. With IoT visibility and next-generation firewall, the system can even carry out context-aware network segmentation.

This solution provides a lot of helpful features for securing IoT devices from threats. It can block evasions like known, unknown and zero-day threats for IoT, IoMT and OT threats. The one-click compliance assessment feature can track risks and score them based on factors like vulnerability information, anomalous device behavior and vendor advisories.

Users can easily adopt automated zero trust for their IoT devices through prescriptive least-privileged access policy recommendations and one-click enforcement. This can simplify the security of connected devices on users’ networks as the system identifies devices, assess and prevent risks, monitor behavior, perform asset management and secure their digital activity so nothing slips through the cracks.

Zero Trust least-privilege policies may also be applied to IoT devices. This can prevent threats from resulting in attacks or carrying out lateral movements. Users can also carry out contextual device segmentation through deep profiling, assessment and policy enforcement for both managed and unmanaged devices.

Palo Alto can seamlessly integrate into existing next-generation firewall workflows as a single platform, and the solution can also integrate with existing technologies through playbook-driven native integrations rather than using APIs. Potential buyers can contact the vendor sales team for pricing assistance. Reviewers appreciated the solution as it enabled custom security policies implementation.

AWS IoT Device Defender

Best for security alerting

AWS IoT Device Defender enables users to manage their security across their IoT devices and resources. The solution can monitor traffic and alert users of spikes in abnormal behavior, and users can program its ML models to inform them of detected threats or anomalies based on their settings.

The solution’s automated features make it a good choice for IoT security. With automatic security assessments, users can adjust their security controls to comply with their needs and use them to monitor their devices for threats and anomalies. When a behavior anomaly is detected, the platform can send out security alerts so users take action fast.

Security alarms can be sent to the user’s preferred AWS interface, such as the AWS IoT console, Amazon CloudWatch, Amazon Simple Notification Service and AWS IoT Device Management. From here, users can decide to take mitigation actions through built-in security fixes.

Users can also plan ahead to avoid issues caused by security threats. They can efficiently perform actions like replacing default policies or quarantining devices to mitigate problems. The solution enables them to identify insecure network services and protocols with security weaknesses so they can remediate them before a threat occurs. The solution can analyze historical device data for anomalies with machine learning models.

The AWS IoT Device Defender is provided as a pay-as-you-go pricing model with no minimum fees or mandatory service usage. Customers online expressed appreciation in reviews for the product’s robust processes for defending against security concerns.